Evaporator



Aug. 25, 1936. J TQUBORG 2,052370 EVAPORATOR Filed July 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 25, 1936. J. TOUBORG EVAPORATOR Filed July 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fizz/e71 021' 756 7024 Patented Aug. 25, 1936 UNITE STATES PFTE, NT FFIQE EVAPORATOR V Jens Touborg, Greenville, Mich; assighor to Gib- I son Electric Refrigerator Corporation, Green: ville, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application July 25,1935, serial Ne. 33,153

' 4 Claims. (01. 62 126) This invention relates to improvements in evaporators and, more especially, an evaporator for use in refrigerating apparatus.

The invention is particularly applicable to the kind of refrigerating apparatus shown in copending patent application of Jens Touborg and Homer E. Rosebrook, Serial No. 748,960, filed October 18, 1934. In a sense, the inventions here shown may be considered as improvements on the inventions disclosed in that application.

In the co-pending application above referred to, in each form of device, there is shown an even number of boilers. are connected in series and each boiler is provided with an inlet in one end at the bottom and an outlet at the opposite end at the top. In such apparatus, using an even number of boilers, tipping of the apparatus, within limits, will not seriously disturb the functioning ofthe evaporator because half of the boilers will balance the other half. The principal feature of the present invention is the provision of an evaporator with an odd number of boilers so constructed that tipping of the evaporator, within limits, will not seriously disturb the functioning of the apparatus. In general, it may be stated that the inlets and outlets are arranged in such a manner that if the evaporator is tilted, the amount of liquid it contains necessary for normal operation will not cause any substantial overcharged or undercharged condition.

The invention is applicable to any of the forms of evaporator shown in the above-mentioned copending application and also to other forms of evaporators employing an odd number of boilers connected in series. In general, the invention comprises placing the outlet for. one of the boilers at the top near the center of the boiler instead of at one end. It does not make any difference which boiler is thus provided with a center outlet as long as it is placed in that one boiler which lacks another boiler to balance it. For example, in a three-boiler evaporator, the center outlet may be placed in either the first or the last boiler. The invention is also applicable to an evaporator using a single boiler and in such case, 'such single boiler would be provided with a center outlet.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have here shown it as applied to an evaporator similar to the form shown in Figure 6 of the above-mentioned co-pending application of Touborg and Rosebrook, Serial No. 748,960, filed October 18, 1934, except that I have shown a third boiler at the bottom.

In each case, the boilers Other features and advantages of my invention will appear. more fully as I proceed with my specification.

:In that form of device embodying the features of myinvention shown in the accompanying drawings a Figure 1 isa view in side elevation; Fig; 2 is a top plan View; Fig. 3 is a viewtaken as'indicated by the line 3 of Fig.- 2 or the line 3 of Fig. 4; and'Fig. 4 is a view in end elevation.

As shown in the drawings, the evaporator comprises, in general, a sheet of metal in a U-shape with two cylindrical boilers or tubes inside about half way up lying side by side in the same'horizontal plane and a third boiler under the bottom 5 of the U. The; lower portion of the sheet metal forms a lower shelf foran ice tray, and the upper two boilers may receive another ice tray, on top of them, thus forming an uppershelf for this purpose. l

.Inthe evaporator as shown, the sheet'metal' l Bis generallybent-intoa U-shape, asbest shown in Fig. l, with the upper edges of the sides bent outwardly, as indicated by H, H, to form attaching flanges provided with suitable holes 52 to receive the bolts, screws, or the like, to attach the evaporator to any suitable support above it. Portions of the side walls are curved, as indicated by Iii to give good heat exchange contact with the boilers l3 and l3 which are attached thereto, as by welding or brazing I5. The bottom of the member i0 is similarly curved, as indicated by Hl to give good heat exchange with the bottom boiler l3 which is similarly attached.

I9 indicates an inlet pipe entering the bottom of the first boiler I3. Refrigerant leaves at the top of this boiler near the center by the pipe 2!.

It will be seen that the pipe 2i leaves boiler I 3 at the end near the top but from Fig. 3, it will be seen that the portion of this pipe it inside of the boiler l3, as indicated by 2I is bent downwardly and then upwardly so that the extreme end of the pipe 2F is near the top of boiler l3 at the center. The pipe 2| enters the bottom of the boiler w at the same end of the evaporator as the pipe 19. Refrigerant leaves the top of boiler l3 at the other end through the pipe 22 which enters the bottom of boiler I3 at the bottom. Refrigerant leaves the evaporator from the top of boiler I3 through the outlet pipe 23 which may be bent into a loop 23 in order to give this pipe an opportunity to pick up a certain amount of the heat from the cabinet, thereby applying superheat to the gas passing through the tube so that the latter will not frost up or sweat where it leaves the cabinet.

It will be seen that the outlet near the center of the top of boiler I3 is provided by inserting the tube 2| through the end plate of the boiler and then bending it downwardly and again upwardly inside of the boiler. This construction permits the use of a standard boiler end plate. Bending it downwardly and then upwardly inside of the boiler assists in locating it correctly when soldering or welding it in place. It will be seen that the tube is bent inside of the boiler so that it touches the bottom of the boiler at and its upper end touches the top of the boiler at 5| but not sufficiently to close the end of the tube. With the tube touching both the top and bottom of the boiler, it is less likely to be dislocated either in assembling or afterwards. As far as procuring an outlet at the center at the top alone is concerned, the tube 2| could be inserted in the top wall of the boiler at the center with its end substantially flush with the top wall of the boiler.

It will be seen that the suction or outlet tubes for the second and third boilers, that is, the boilers I3 and I3, are at opposite ends. These two boilers, therefore, balance each other as far as tipping is concerned. That is, if excessive liquid runs out of one boiler through the suction tube, when the evaporator is tilted, it will find space in the other boiler where the suction tube is at the opposite end. This arrangement alone is perfectly satisfactory as long as an 'even number of boilers is used. In the case an odd number of boilers is desired, however, for example, three boilers as here shown, the odd boiler is provided with the outlet at or near the center. As here shown, the first boiler I3 is thus provided with its outlet at or near the center at the top.

It will be noted that if the line or direction of flow be considered, boilers l3 and [3 may be considered adjacent, even though one is considerably above the other. Likewise, boilers l3 and I3 are adjacent in this sense. It will be seen, therefore, that the boiler with the center outlet could be the last boiler or l3 if desired. However, the outlet of boiler l3 would be at the end near the top and the inlet to boiler l3 would be at the adjacent end instead of the opposite end.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as disclosed in the appended claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in my invention as broadly as permissible, in View of the prior art.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An evaporator including a plurality and odd number of elongated substantially horizontal and substantially parallel boilers comprising one or more pairs, each pair including boilers each having an inlet at one end at the bottom and an out let at the opposite end at the top, the boilers of each pair being oppositely turned, end for end, and an odd boiler having an outlet substantially at the center and substantially at the top.

2. An evaporator as claimed in claim 1 in which the boilers are connected in series.

3. An evaporator as claimed in claim 1, in which the outlet in the odd boiler is provided by a pipe entering the boiler at the end with its inner end bent upwardly substantially to the center of the boiler substantially at the top.

4. An evaporator as claimed in claim 1, in which the outlet in the odd boiler is provided by a pipe entering the boiler at the end near the top with its inner end bent downwardly inside of the boiler substantially to the bottom of the boiler and then upwardly substantially to the center of the boiler substantially at the top.

J ENS TOUBORG. 

